The Montreal Canadiens are no longer a rebuilding team quietly finding its footing-they’re a legitimate playoff contender with a young core that’s turning heads across the league. After pushing the Washington Capitals to the brink in last year’s first-round playoff series, the Habs have continued their upward trajectory this season. But as promising as things look on the surface, there are cracks forming in the foundation, and most of them are showing up in the crease.
Head coach Martin St. Louis has this team playing fast, aggressive, and confident hockey.
Nick Suzuki continues to evolve into a top-tier two-way center. Cole Caufield’s scoring touch is electric.
Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov bring creativity and poise beyond their years, and Juraj Slafkovsky is finally looking like the power forward Montreal envisioned when they took him first overall. At 29-17-7, the Canadiens are one of the more exciting teams in the Eastern Conference.
But excitement doesn’t always translate to security in the standings-they’re currently holding onto a Wild Card spot, neck-and-neck with the Boston Bruins.
And it was in Boston last Saturday where one of Montreal’s biggest concerns was thrown into the spotlight. The Canadiens held a 3-2 lead heading into the third period against their longtime rivals.
Then, in a span of just 12 seconds, that lead vanished. Goaltender Sam Montembeault gave up two quick goals, and what could’ve been a statement win turned into a gut-punch 4-3 loss.
The fallout was immediate. The Canadiens fired goaltending coach Eric Raymond and replaced him with Marco Marciano.
But this wasn’t just about one night in Boston. Montembeault and backup Jakub Dobes have struggled to deliver consistent performances all season.
In response, the team has called up Jacob Fowler from the AHL, hoping to stabilize things between the pipes.
Still, the message is clear: if the Habs want to stay in the playoff picture-and do more than just make a brief appearance-they need better goaltending. The numbers don’t lie.
Montembeault is 9-8-2 with a 3.46 goals against average and a .868 save percentage. Dobes has a more respectable 16-5-3 record, but his .890 save percentage and 2.96 GAA still leave room for concern.
Fowler, in limited NHL action, has shown flashes with a 4-4-2 record, a 2.62 GAA, and a .902 save percentage.
Montreal doesn’t need Montembeault to be elite. They just need him to be solid when it matters most-especially in the third period. That didn’t happen in Boston, and it’s been a recurring theme that’s cost the team valuable points.
Executive VP Jeff Gorton addressed the situation with a measured tone.
“Listen, I think the easiest thing to do is blame the goalies,” Gorton said. “It’s not just the goalies.
Anytime something like this happens, it’s on all of us. So we’ll all take that, we’ll all take the responsibility, and we’ll move forward.”
Accountability is important, but so is action. Firing the goalie coach is a start.
Promoting Fowler adds depth. But if the Canadiens are serious about making a run this spring, they need to swing bigger.
And that’s where Jesper Wallstedt enters the conversation.
Wallstedt, currently the No. 2 goaltender for the Minnesota Wild behind Filip Gustavsson, has been quietly putting together an impressive season. He’s 13-5-4 with a 2.71 GAA and a .914 save percentage-numbers that would represent a significant upgrade for Montreal. And while the Wild aren’t actively shopping him, there’s a sense that they’d consider a deal if it meant adding more scoring up front.
Minnesota GM Bill Guerin isn’t shy about making bold moves-just look at his December acquisition of high-scoring defenseman Quinn Hughes from Vancouver. He’s not going to give Wallstedt away, but he’s listening. And Montreal has pieces that could make a deal work.
Let’s be clear: Suzuki, Caufield, Hutson, and Demidov are untouchable. Slafkovsky and defenseman Noah Dobson are in that next tier-very close to untouchable.
But if the Canadiens want to land Wallstedt, they may have to part with someone like rookie center Oliver Kapanen, veteran defenseman Mike Matheson, or winger Zack Bolduc. It wouldn’t be easy, but those are the kinds of names that could get Guerin’s attention.
A package that includes Dobes or Fowler and a draft pick might be enough to tip the scales.
The Eastern Conference is a gauntlet. The Tampa Bay Lightning have found their rhythm after a rocky start, and teams like Florida, Toronto, and Carolina aren’t going anywhere. But Montreal has the talent to hang with anyone-if they can get consistent goaltending.
A move for Wallstedt wouldn’t just patch a hole-it could elevate the Canadiens into a legitimate second-round threat, maybe more. The young core is ready.
The coaching staff is in place. All that’s missing is a netminder who can steal a game when it matters most.
The Olympic break is looming. If the Canadiens want to make a serious push, the time to act is now.